You Are Now Free to Blow the Whistle

Posted on Apr 3, 2008

The shocking truth about FAA plane inspections was revealed Thursday when three inspectors told a congressional hearing their supervisors ignored their concerns about the safety of Southwest planes and reprimanded them for raising questions.

Tens of thousands of flights of uninspected planes occurred, resulting in a recent $10.2-million fine against the airline.

New York Times:

WASHINGTON—Three veteran Federal Aviation Administration inspectors told lawmakers on Thursday that their agency supervisors looked the other way while Southwest Airlines neglected to inspect planes as required, and continued to fly them even after discovering cracks in some of them.

The inspectors said that their F.A.A. supervisors knew of the problems but had discouraged them from pursuing the safety problems or addressing problems within the agency, even threatening to relieve them of their duties.

One was removed from his job as an office manager and another was encouraged to apply for a transfer, they said. A third said he was temporarily removed from his role overseeing Southwest, as a result of complaints by the airline.